BFHS moving to 4A in 2024 due to new classification rules

BONNERS FERRY — The Bonners Ferry Badgers will move to 4A classification in 2024 due to a new classification system for Idaho high school athletics based on enrollment voted on by the Idaho High School Activities Association.

The decision, which will now have six different classification levels instead of five and combine 1A Division I and II together, was not popular among North Idaho schools.

A majority vote of superintendents statewide overturned an earlier vote by the Idaho High School Activities Association board of control, changing the enrollment numbers in the six classifications.

Next year, the biggest schools will be in 6A, followed by 5A, 4A, 3A, 2A and 1A. That replaces the current classifications, which are 5A, 4A, 3A, 2A, 1A Division I and 1A Division II. The main change is that enrollment numbers for each classification are a little bigger.

In the new 6A, the range is 1,400 students and up in grades 9-12. In the current 5A, it’s 1,280 and up. In the new 5A, the range is 700-1,399 students. In the current 4A, it’s 640-1,279. In the new 4A, the range is 350-699 students. In the current 3A, it’s 320-639. In the new 3A, the range is 175-349 students. In the current 2A, it’s 160-319. In the new 2A, the range is 90-174 students. In the current 1A Division I, it’s 85-159. In new 1A, the range is 89 students and below. In the current 1A Division II, it’s 84 and below.

Bonners Ferry High School has a current enrollment of 461 and would move to the newly classified 4A.

Boundary County School District Superintendent Jan Bayer told the Herald she voted against the new classification system, adding that Boise and the other Idaho school districts don’t care how the new system will affect District I.

The Intermountain League (3A District 1) will become 4A and include only Bonners Ferry and Timberlake. No schools from District 2 will fall under the 4A classification, making the nearest conference school Weiser, 412 miles away, part of the Snake River Valley Conference (District 3). The new 4A classification will include 19 schools.

Moving to 4A may bring additional changes to the Badger sports season, as the 4A-5A golf season has moved to the fall, while 3A golf is in the spring.

Bayer said there is an option for schools to petition down in classification per sport, which Bonners Ferry is looking into utilizing, depending on sport. She added that by only having Timberlake in league it gives Bonners Ferry a better berth at state competitions, but that regional teams will remain on the Badger sports schedules, such as Lincoln County, Priest River, Kellogg and Clark Fork.

Schools that the Badgers have historically played from around the region and that have moved down in classification in the past years will play for 3A Central Idaho League (Districts 1-2): Coeur d'Alene Charter, Grangeville (230), Kellogg (324), Orofino (255.5), Priest River (321), St. Maries (282).

A total of 26 schools across the state will fall under the 3A classification.

What does this mean for Bonner County high school athletics?

Lewiston (enrollment 1,365, based on two reporting periods during the 2022-23 school year), in the state’s biggest division for a quarter century, would drop down one division, from 6A to 5A, and join Sandpoint (1,086.5), Lakeland (863) and Moscow (773.5) in what will be a four-team Inland Empire League.

“At the 4A (level), there are concerns about a school of 750 (Moscow) competing with a school nearly twice their size (Lewiston). The schools in region 1 did not have an issue with our ‘old’ classification system. The old adage ‘if it isn't broken, don't fix it’ may apply in this case,” said Post Falls schools superintendent Dena Naccarato.

Clark Fork (89.5), will move up to 2A, joining Genesis Prep (143.5), Wallace (131.5) and Lakeside (113.5), leaving Kootenai (56) and Mullan (41) in 1A.

It was confirmed by Clark Fork activities director, KC McDonald, that the Wampus Cats will not petition down, as of now, and will stay with the change to 2A.

All in all, 100 of the 152 member schools voted to adopt the new classification and alignment numbers. But in District 1, only two schools voted in favor, and 11 were against. In District 2, six schools voted in favor, and 11 against, showing North Idaho superintendents do not view this new classification system favorably.

Usually, what the IHSAA says goes. But one of the schools noticed in the IHSAA bylaws that rules and regulations can be “adopted, amended or repealed by a majority vote.”

A survey earlier this year showed a majority of schools were in favor of adjusting the classification numbers. Hence, last Tuesday's action.

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Additional information from longtime Coeur d'Alene Press Sports Editor, Mark Nelke.